Luscious Noise

If you are in the mood for a paradigm shifter, you might want to consider this weekend’s Luscious Noise performance at Anthology, where John Stubbs’ 3-year-old classical-meets-club experiment continues to flourish. A violinist with the San Diego Symphony and music director of the California Ballet, he’s not the only musician in San Diego exploring alternative ways of presenting classical music. But he is the only one conducting a series where you can have a microbrew with your Mahler or sea bass with your Sibelius.

“One thing I had in mind was to try to create an experience that’s a little more relaxed,” Stubbs said. “Clothing is certainly part of that. When you wear tails, you are setting yourself apart from the audience, and in a classical concert, that’s what you want to do. But in this situation, the musicians look like they are people who could be sitting down in the club with you.”

Conventional classical: No talking or texting during the performance.

Luscious Noise: Talk, text, drink, get up to go to the restroom, do whatever you want (although typically the crowd at Anthology is as attentive as a symphony audience).

“People might think of concerts as off-putting if they have to go and sit and have to be very quiet. It’s like, ‘Boy, I’m going to be sitting there for two hours. How am I going to do that?’ They barely can do that in movies nowadays. It’s a nice surprise to them that there are people clinking their drinks and having little private conversations occasionally, and it’s not quite so stuffy.”

Conventional classical: Repertoire taken from the classical canon’s greatest hits and generally restricted to a set ensemble.

Luscious Noise: A wide range of repertoire and single-movement works for different-sized ensembles, from solo instruments to chamber orchestra, with video and occasional dance mixed in. But never any pops fare.

“I see too many people who think, ‘Let’s dress casually so the audience won’t be intimidated, but also, let’s do an arrangement of The Beatles.’ To me, that’s pandering and dumbing down. I don’t want to dumb it down; I want to create an atmosphere that is a little more welcoming.”

Conventional classical: Multiple rehearsals with the emphasis on a technically accurate, polished performance.

Luscious Noise: A single rehearsal (for the ensemble portions of the program), with an emphasis on spontaneity.

“It’s like going to somebody’s house and having people read chamber music. The people who are there witnessing it are having such a great time and the musicians are having such a great time and there’s not a lot of pressure.

“It’s kind of a fun thing. Let’s have one rehearsal and read it. Then let’s just get up and play it for fun. Let’s make it happen. And everybody is on their toes and excited.”